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The back-and-forth affair between the Calgary Roughnecks and defending NLL champion Rochester Knighthawks started early and didn’t stop until the final horn.

Unfortunately, for the season-high 12,340 fans in attendance Saturday at the Saddledome, the visitors got the run when they needed it to walk away with a 15-14 win over the Roughnecks.

“It’s unfortunate,” said Riggers forward Jeff Shattler, who fired home a game-high four goals. “It was a one-goal game and they got the bounces and we didn’t. I think our whole team played phenomenal from the defence to the goalie to our offence — it’s just the breaks of lacrosse. We were up two and then all of a sudden they score four in a row. It’s a game of runs and unfortunately, they got the run at the right time of the game.”

Craig Point scored the winner for the Knighthawks with less than two minutes to go, despite a late surge by the Riggers with the extra attacker that saw them pull within one.

Roughnecks head coach Curt Malawsky was more than happy with the effort against the champs.

“We were looking at our game on the floor and I thought our guys competed real, real hard,” the first-year bench boss said. “I thought they left everything out there. I’ve been around the game for 38 years and sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. Those guys have got nothing to be ashamed off out there. We were one shot short.

“We can sit here all night and look for negative things and start picking it all apart. I’m really proud that my guys went to war and battled hard, and they should be proud of their efforts. By no means are we accepting losing as an OK thing, but it was a great effort by everyone involved.”

Shawn Evans led the way offensively for the Roughnecks with three goals and seven assists, while Curtis Dickson chipped in with two goals and five assists, and Dane Dobbie had a hat-trick before leaving with a knee injury in the third quarter.

Evans agreed with the coach’s assessment.

“I think tonight was one of our best games we’ve played,” Evans said. “It didn’t look like it on the scoreboard, but we came out here and gave it 100%. A couple bounces didn’t go our way and it ended up 15-14.

“You want every game. You wanna win every game. It would have been huge for us to win that game and put ourselves ahead of Washington and Edmonton, but unfortunately, that didn’t happen tonight.”

The Riggers are now hoping the Knighthawks can win another one Sunday in Edmonton, which would set up a first-place battle next Saturday at Rexall Place in the season finale.

Cody Jamieson and Dan Dawson did the damage for the visitors, with Jamieson picking up three goals and six assists. Dawson also had a hat-trick and eight helpers.

Mike Poulin made 33 saves between the Roughnecks pipes, while Matt Vinc was a busy man, making 44 saves, as the Riggers outshot the ’Hawks 58-48.

The Roughnecks held a 7-6 lead at the half, after finding themselves in an early two-goal hole.

Roughnecks lose in a shootout

The back-and-forth affair between the Calgary Roughnecks and defending NLL champion Rochester Knighthawks started early and didn't stop until the final horn, with the champs outlasting the home side 15-14 in the end.

Craig Point scored the winner for the Knighthawks with less than two minutes to go, despite a late surge by the Riggers with the extra attacker.

Shawn Evans led the way offensively for the Roughnecks with three goals and seven assists, while Jeff Shattler chipped in with four goals and two assists.

Cody Jamieson and Dan Dawson did the damage for the visitors, with Jamieson picking up three goals and six assists. Dawson also had a hat-trick and eight helpers.

Mike Poulin made 33 saves between the Roughnecks pipes, while Matt Vinc was a busy man, making 44 saves, as the Riggers outshot the 'Hawks 58-48.